There's one thing that's still not quite specific, however: the exact on-sale date. BMW says today the X1 will arrive "this fall," but doesn't pinpoint the calendar, perhaps because production in Leipzig needs to ramp up and pass final quality inspections on the U.S.-exclusive xDrive35i model.

That's right, we power-hungry Americans will get an exclusive version of the X1 powered by the N55 twin-scroll, single-turbo 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine found in the X3, 3-Series, and many other BMW vehicles. In the X1, it should prove quite capable--and bottom line, we Yanks will have the sportiest X1 available. Neat.

The X1 xDrive35i promises 300-horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 300 pound feet of torque between 1,200 rpm and 5,000 rpm--very familiar figures. In the X1 that will translate to 0-60 mph times of 5.3 seconds and 18 mpg city/27 mpg highway, for 21 mpg combined. Not bad for a luxury crossover.

Perhaps even more interesting, however, is the smaller turbo version: the sDrive28 and xDrive28i. With the little "s" denoting rear-wheel drive and the "x" all-wheel drive, either model gets a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine good for 240 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. BMW says this will propel the rear-drive X1 to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds, while the slightly heavier all-wheel drive model will take 6.3 seconds. Preliminary EPA gas mileage in the 28i versions is listed at 24/33 mpg for the sDrive28i and 22/30 mpg for the xDrive28i. Again, not bad.

As noted, pricing for the X1 starts at $31,545 for the sDrive28i model, with the xDrive28i starting from $33,245 and the U.S.-only xDrive35i from $39,345.

Hit page two for the full release, with details on the auto stop-start, ECO PRO mode, and more.